Bourbon Democrats

The Bourbon Democrats were a faction of the Democratic Party who were ideologically aligned with conservatism or classical liberalism. Bourbon Democrats were proponents of laissez-faire capitalism, and they supported fiscal discipline and opposed high-tariff protectionism. They represented business interests such as banking and railroads, but they opposed subsidies for them and were unwilling to protect them from competition. They also opposed American overseas expansion, opposed bimetallism, promoted hard and sound money, supported reforms, and opposed corrupt city bosses. After Alton B. Parker's loss in the 1904 presidential election, the Bourbon faction faded away, and former Bourbon supporter Woodrow Wilson made a deal with the populist William Jennings Bryan in 1912, with Bryan backing Wilson's presidential bid in exchange for Bryan becoming Secretary of State.